MINISFORUM MS-A1 vs DELL PowerEdge R250 (1U)
These are different machines for different jobs. The MS-A1 is a compact desktop with a fast 8-core Ryzen 7 8700G, Radeon 780M graphics and four M.2 slots. The PowerEdge R250 is a 1U rack server with a quad-core Xeon E-2314, iDRAC9 remote management and hot-swap drive bays. Buy the MS-A1 for a quiet desk workstation, media box or dev box; buy the R250 for a rack, a lab or a small virtualization host that needs remote management. No prices were provided for either product, so compare live store prices on this page before deciding.
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MINISFORUM MS-A1
Choose the MINISFORUM MS-A1 if you want a small, quiet, fast desktop for development, media or light gaming, with room for four NVMe drives and up to 96GB of DDR5.
- 8-core Ryzen 7 8700G with 16 threads handles compiles and VMs well for its size
- Radeon 780M graphics and a 16 TOPS NPU suit media and light AI work
- Four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots give fast all-flash storage
- Dual 2.5GbE plus Wi-Fi 6E is far faster networking than the R250
- Small, quiet and desk-friendly at 48 mm tall
- No out-of-band management; you need physical or OS-level access
- No 3.5-inch bays, so no cheap bulk HDD storage or hot swap
What separates them
| MINISFORUM MS-A1 | DELL PowerEdge R250 (1U) | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Mini PC, 189.5 x 186 x 48 mm, sits on a desk | 1U rack server, 482 mm wide, 598.64 mm deep, 12.48 kg |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 8700G, 8 cores/16 threads, boost to 5.1GHz, 65W TDP | Intel Xeon E-2314, 4 cores, 2.8GHz, 8MB cache |
| Graphics | Integrated Radeon 780M, plus 16 TOPS NPU | No GPU; basic server video only |
| Memory | 2x DDR5 SODIMM, up to 96GB at 5200MT/s | 8GB DDR4 3200 installed, up to 128GB UDIMM |
| Storage | 4x M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe slots, no 3.5-inch bays | Up to 4x 3.5-inch hot-swap bays, 1TB SATA HDD plus 480GB SSD, PERC H355 RAID |
| Remote management | None; no out-of-band management | iDRAC9 and OpenManage |
| Networking | 2x 2.5GbE RJ45, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
Price history
- MINISFORUM MS-A1: lowest $849.90 on Nov 1 at Amazon.
- DELL PowerEdge R250 (1U): lowest $1,189.00 on Nov 1 at Datadirect-global.
Prices at every store
DELL PowerEdge R250 (1U)
- Datadirect-globalCheck price at Datadirect-global
- eBayCheck price at eBay
- Newegg.comCheck price at Newegg.com
Specs compared
| Spec | MINISFORUM MS-A1 | DELL PowerEdge R250 (1U) |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | DDR5 Dual Channel (sODIMM Slotsx2,Up to 5200MT/… | up to 128 GB |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 8700G | — |
| CPU Cores | 8 cores and 16 threads | — |
| Max Boost Clock | 5.1GHz | — |
| TDP | 65W | — |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon 780M | — |
| NPU Performance | 16TOPS | — |
| Storage Slots | 4*M.2 PCIe4.0 NVME SSD card slots | — |
| Wireless Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, BlueTooth 5.2 | — |
| Ethernet | R145 2.5G Ethernet Port x 2 | — |
What reviewers say
MINISFORUM MS-A1
Owner discussion of the MS-A1 centers on its four M.2 slots and dual 2.5G networking as the reasons to buy, with the barebone format and integrated graphics as the main caveats.
- Four NVMe slots at this size
- Dual 2.5G Ethernet for NAS and firewall use
- Quiet, compact chassis
- Strong CPU performance for the footprint
- Must buy RAM and SSD separately
- Integrated graphics limits gaming
- Limited video outputs for multi-monitor work
DELL PowerEdge R250 (1U)
Owner feedback on the R250 line centers on it being a quiet, dependable entry server for the money, with iDRAC9 called out as the standout feature. Complaints usually land on the stock memory and single power supply rather than reliability.
Questions and answers
- Which is better for running Proxmox or ESXi?
- The R250. It is built for it, with iDRAC9, hot-swap bays and a PERC RAID controller. The MS-A1 can run Proxmox too, but you lose remote management and hot swap.
- Which is faster for everyday work?
- The MS-A1. Its 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 8700G at up to 5.1GHz beats the 4-core Xeon E-2314 at 2.8GHz in most desktop and multi-threaded tasks.
- Can the MS-A1 replace a rack server?
- Only for light duties. It has no iDRAC-style management, no redundant power and no 3.5-inch hot-swap bays, so it suits a desk-side dev box rather than a rack.
- Which holds more storage?
- The R250 for bulk capacity, with up to four 3.5-inch hot-swap drives. The MS-A1 takes four M.2 NVMe drives, which are faster but smaller and not hot-swappable.
- Is the R250 worth it if I do not have a rack?
- Usually not. It is 1U, 598.64 mm deep and 12.48 kg. Without a rack, the MS-A1 is the more practical pick unless you need iDRAC9.
- Which uses less power?
- The MS-A1. Its 65W TDP chip runs from an external adapter, while the R250 has a 450W server PSU and spins 3.5-inch drives.